Arturo Friedemann

Arturo Friedemann was the son of a Silesian-born German merchant and a mother of German descent. A member of the Club Ciclista Santiago, he competed mainly on the velodrome at Cousiño Park (now renamed O’Higgins Park) in Santiago. Alongside his brother Carlos, he was also active in the Unión Ciclista de Chile in its early years. At the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, he placed 69th in the individual road time trial and ninth with the team.

Simultaneously, Friedemann took an interest in motor sports, particularly in motorcycling. He took part in various long-distance races, winning, for instance, the Santiago-Peñaflor raid in 1917 and a 215-kilometre motorcycle race in 1920. Competing on an N.S.U. motorcycle, he also became the local representative of the company and imported their motorcycles. In 1931, Friedemann became a member of the Automóvil Club de Chile.

Together with his wife Teresa, Friedemann suffered a tragic loss in 1921 when their son, Arturito, died after a short illness at just 18 months old.